Handmade earthing sandals for toddlers  

and small children  
 
~​ a stitch-by-stitch tutorial​ ~ 
by ​ForestCreekMeadows 
  
  

  
  
  
pattern created by ​Roland Magyar   
father, ​sustainable life designer​, eco-minimalist, poet, r​ eforester  
  
You can lovingly handcraft these all-natural sandals for your child 
to enjoy warm temperatures and textures like never before. They 
are going to feel light like two feathers! 
   
This is a unisex design further accentuated by the beige, natural look of the 
cordage itself. The sandals are entirely handmade of ​a single coiled piece of 
circular braided hemp rope​ each, sewn with unfinished, strong flax or hemp 
sewing thread. This makes for a very comfortable and soft sole that your child 
can either begin or continue soaking up the Earth’s subtle healing energies 
through, unhindered. They refer to this as earthing or grounding, but we could 
simply call it: connecting. ​Happy (re)connectedness to your child!  
  
Materials and tools needed​ for a 3-year-old toddler’s 12.5 cm (5”) foot length 
(​adjustable in length and width​, proportionately, to fit any small foot size):  

● cardboard to trace the feet on (this will be your work surface)  

● two drawing instruments: a fine-tipped pencil and a soft lead pencil 
for tracing the feet  
● approximately 8 m (26 ft) circular braided 0.5 cm (~ 1/4”) diameter 
hemp rope cut in two 4 m (13 ft) pieces  
● a large bobbin of unfinished, unbleached strong flax or hemp sewing 
thread  
● a hardwood twig (hawthorn, sloe, oak, ash) debarked and long 
enough to cut and carve two small oblong buttons from it  
● a set of strong needles with large eyes to suit the sewing thread 
(depending on their quality you may go through quite a few, with 
their eyes breaking or the whole needle bending - keep that in mind 
when acquiring supplies)   
● sharp pointy scissors  
● small size needle-nose pliers   
● thimble (optional)  
   
 
Care of the one-rope earthing sandals:  
 
These sandals are absolutely breathable. When they get wet, just put them in 
the sun’s direct light or next to an indoor heat source where they will dry fast. 
While they might feel slightly stiff at first, your earthing sandals will quickly 
break in again.  
Cleaning can be done in warm soapy water with gentle brushing. Please use 
natural soap and a natural-bristle brush to keep the footwear as pure as 
possible.   
At the end of their life (depending on the type of stains they would have 
gathered by then) the earthing sandals can potentially be composted or burned 
in a safe manner- nowadays not too many people can claim that about any of 
their footwear!  
Oh, you may also notice tiny-tiny pieces of rocks that start filling some of the 
gaps in the stitching of the bottom of the sole (unless you decided to apply 
leather sole underneath the rope coil). Don’t get alarmed, those tough little 
rock crystals actually add to the durability of the footwear, making the soles 
more resistant to friction. When washing the sandals, don’t try to remove 
these inlays – some will fall out by themselves, while others will stay.  
  
And now, getting started:  
 
Have your child step on the cardboard with straight legs and without curling 
her/his toes. Holding each foot steady in place, trace the contour of the feet 
with a fine-tip pencil held vertically, following the individual foot’s shape. Do 
so relatively tight against the foot without putting pressure on its soft parts - 
and a toddler’s feet are pretty soft all around.  
No two feet are the same, not even on the same person, so allow for 
individuality, because, after all, you are about to custom create. Don’t just 
mirror the first foot’s mark and expect a perfectly comfortable wear. 
  

  
   
  
The principal of making this style sandal is the same for any 
young child’s feet, just increase the length of rope accordingly (it 
is always better to overestimate and use the leftover cordage, if 
there is, for other creative projects).  
 
Trace the two feet far enough apart on the cardboard not to be in each other’s 
way (smearing the pencil marks while drawing or during the sewing work, 
when you’ll frequently be placing the partially sewn sole on the sketch, to 
match the outline as closely as possible), at the same time allowing yourself an 
easy visual comparison of the two.   
Now grab the soft pencil and, allowing for the child’s growth, “streamline” the 
footprints, making the soles’ outlines slightly larger than the strict outlines of 
the feet were. Add a little more leeway for growth in length, rather than in 
width. We are talking a couple eighths of an inch, or a few millimeters, not 
more.  
The key is to end up with footwear that is truly informed by y ​ our child’s​ feet. I 
would advise you not to compromise comfort for the sake of some forcible 
aesthetics, even if the two sandals end up slightly different from each other 
based on the character of the feet. This difference will hardly be noticeable by 
onlookers. They will be smitten by the sandals’ cuteness and natural appeal 
instead.   
The sandals will be eye-catching​, rest assured!  
  

  
  
Draw the streamlined final edge around the outside of the footprints with a 
thicker, darker pencil mark, easier to follow visually. Don’t worry about this 
outline being slightly oversize, they simply prevent the feeling of tightness 
and assure a proper, comfortable fit in the end.   
  
  
  
  
  
Besides, this safety measure, so to speak, is a good approximation for the work 
ahead, also necessary because the thickness of the rope dictates a certain 
roughness in following contours (it is not a mold for gypsum). But roughness 
being mentioned, it is still a rough guideline nonetheless, t​ hat will not replace 
frequent fittings to your child’s feet themselves​.  
  
The directionality of the work you are about to begin looks like this for the sole 
and the top, respectively:  
  
   
  
   
  
Now, let’s get started! 
  
For practicality’s sake, I cut out each sole’s outline from the cardboard with a 
margin, but you can leave them uncut, too. It all depends on how much room 
you have on the table, desk, counter, your lap, and how portable you wish to 
make your project.  
  
Introduction to your stitching: 
  
Threading long strands of thread in the needle, double-fold, you will be 
securing the first stitch every single time n ​ ot by tying the loose ends of the 
sewing thread into a knot​, but by pushing the needle through the 
not-yet-sewn, therefore softer part of the rope, lengthwise, coming out with 
the needle at the point of the next stitch to be made. Practically, this will leave 
the tail ends of the thread loosely inside the rope, so put pressure on with your 
thumb to prevent them sliding out. These ends will now be sewn over, securing 
them in place by the relative tightness of your first few stitches. Make this 
hidden tail end reasonably long (about 3 cm, or 1”) for strength. We do so to 
prevent potential discomfort from unnecessary knots, plus we’ll end up with a 
more homogenous and esthetically pleasing matrix of stitches.  
  
You’ll have to finish off the front end of the rope before starting the sole. This 
is to make sure it won’t fray right under the heel of your child. You do it by 
starting about 2-3 cm (1”) back from the cut end of the rope, with the stitch 
described above, moving towards the end, going in and out the rope in varied 
angles, always pulling the thread tight. About half a centimeter (a couple 
eighths of an inch) before the end of the rope you stop stitching and just wrap 
the thread tightly on the rope, like fishing line on a hook, a few times. Secure 
this by pushing the needle back and through the wrapping/stitching you just 
made – it’s a wee bit hard, this is where a thimble might come in handy, or a 
flat side of your pliers.  
  
On a side note: throughout the work, I always finished a thread by pulling a 
simple knot tightly against the last stitch and leading the thread back through 
a portion of the rope before cutting it off. 
  
Now you finished the rope’s front end. Cut the excess rope away – close, but 
not right against the tight thread wrapping.  
  
One of my advices to you, for the entire sewing work, would be not 
to use a piece of thread past its obvious durability, meaning when 
you notice that its fibers are starting to fluff up and come apart, 
typically where it hooks into the needle’s eye, cut that piece off or 
be finished with that thread altogether and continue with a new 
one. Don’t compromise the integrity of the sandals with weak 
threads.  
  
Now imagine that all the rope it takes to cover the previously traced surface, is 
coiling tightly in a (thick and dense) plane, which has a top and a bottom side. 
Treat them both the same way and move along with sewing, alternating the 
sides one thread at a time. So, don’t get too far ahead on one side before you 
move to the other and try to overlap the threads of different “ages”: the 
freshly started ones on one side with the more weathered ends on the opposite 
side.  
Begin at the center of the heel by folding the finished end about 2.5 cm (one 
inch) over the rope, sew it on top and bottom...  
  

  
  
and continue in an oval-spiral fashion until you are twice the rope’s thickness 
away from the drawn outline. Do not pull the stitches overly tight, because this 
will eventually take away from the sole’s flexibility and the idea is to allow the 
child’s feet stay as connected with the ground as possible, while allowing for 
those steps to roll freely.  
  
At this point, turn the flat elliptic coil so that you can carry on working on the 
top (foot) side, towards the toes, first wrapping the rope around the oval piece 
and then coiling it over itself, right and left, always allowing for the two-rope- 
thick frame that the whole of this coiling will receive, yet being as space 
efficient as possible over the pencil-drawn template. Fill in the blanks as it is 
the most rational to do with the fewest or no necessary returns to the tight 
corners that inevitably form.   
  

  
  
But don’t you worry too much over them, because in the end every such 
enclosure will be filled by applying the trick described below.  
  
  
  
   
 
(It starts to look like a thick lacework, doesn’t it?) 
  
These small gaps between the outsides of the folds, will be filled in by the first 
and second framing rope line.   
When done with the last fold, under the big toe, just carry on with the first 
framing line. It’s important, at this point, to begin framing towards the 
smaller toes for each foot, not around the big toe – you’ll understand why 
shortly.  
   
  
You may notice that the rope, despite its cylindric braiding, has two flatter 
sides, like mine did. Keep folding the rope across the entire sole part with the 
flat sides onto each other to best “pack” the rope and prevent unnecessary 
twists, in other words, for the material to be relaxed.   
 
And now the trick: 
  
To fill those odd-shaped gaps with the first framing line, use the looseness of 
the braid to your advantage and squish it in a little, while attaching it to the 
coils and filling in the void corners at the same time. In the second round you 
won’t need this technique anymore.  
By the time you reach the base of the big toe with the second framing rope line, 
you should have filled the pencil mark outline almost completely. You have 
probably fitted the sole to your child’s foot more than once already, but now 
it’s definitely good to see how well you have approximated the spread of 
her/his foot. Don’t panic, if the big toe comes a little too close to the edge, 
since you can further enlarge the space inside the sandal with the “vertical” 
rimming that is about to rise from the plane of the sole. The beauty of a single 
continuous piece of rope. 
Here you will proceed to gradually raise the frame line along the side of the 
sole and continue sewing its bottom edge (both inside and out now) to the top 
side of the sole plane. This makes sense structurally, to provide tall enough 
protecting rim around the toes within the upper part of the sandal, but also to 
prevent sliding of the feet, sideways out of the sandals. From now on, you’ll be 
taking advantage of the tall side of the rope to gain the most height with the 
fewest rows (keep in mind that rope still has weight to it).  
  

  
  
With this first rim line you set the base for building the upper part of the 
sandal, but it also serves for streamlining the undulation of the sole, for 
rounding the “corners”. I recommend frequent fittings when you work on the 
toe part or the heel.  
Getting back to the base of the big toe, where you raised the rope from the 
plane of the sole, completes the first rimming row. Go around once more, then 
start wrapping it around the toes for the third time. In the meanwhile you can 
still adjust for more toe room if needed, by gently pressing a row (the second 
and/or the third one) outward while sewing. It’s interesting, that the shape did 
end up the way I wanted the more I looked at it. As if my eyes formed it, not 
even my fingers. ​So pay close attention!  
I recommend you to pull all stitches as tight as you can in the rim part, because 
this lends sturdiness to the footwear and has to withstand the pressure of the 
toes, of the twisting heel and has to be able to protect the toes when kicking or 
tripping on something. It won’t take away from the softness of the sole.  
  

  
  
From the outside the sandal should start to look something like this, nice and 
rounded:  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Now you have completed two full rows of the rim and are wrapping the rope 
past the smallest toe for the third time. Soon you’ll have to take a break, 
request another fitting...  
  
   
  
and see for yourselves where it is best (most comfortable, not just cute 
looking) to cross over the top of the foot via an S curve. For 
physiological-ergonomic reasons it seems to me that a good place is about one 
third of the way from the base of the lower leg toward the baseline of the toes.  
   
  
The S curve in plane view is both faithfully following the shape of the foot in 
three dimensions and is aesthetically pleasing.  
Make sure you secure its end points to the rim extra strong, because, 
obviously, these points will have to bear a lot of pressure from the stepping 
foot. Plus they are the parts by the means of which the sandals actuallystay on 
the feet. I recommend sizing it so that this strap is tighter rather than looser 
fitting, because due to the nature of most natural fibers, they will stretch a bit 
from wear, and washing softens them too.  
   
  
The S should have a smaller curve closer to the small toes, where the top of the 
foot is lower, and a bigger arch above the big toe – you get the point.  
After jumping the rope onto the other side, lead it towards the heel, wrap this 
third rimming row around and past it, fairly close to the point where the S 
branches off. See what feels comfortable for your child and what looks 
well-proportioned in her/his size, because this is the place and time to create 
the raindrop shaped loop, serving as button hole. 
 
The wooden buttons: 
  
As a relaxing activity after so much sewing, now you might want to grab the 
twigs you chose and carve two smooth buttons with rounded ends. They need 
not be thick if the twig is hardwood and it is great if you can find parts with 
gentle curve to them, to kind of hug the outside of the foot. The buttons you see 
in these images are made of witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). My 
daughter’s buttons are 1.5 cm (3/4”) long, but you could make them tiny bit 
longer, too provided that they don’t touch the ground and are still comfortable 
to button with. I suggest you carve a shallow groove (so that this slimming 
does not jeopardize the strength of the buttons yet) into the middle of the 
buttons for a better gripping of the rope. It need not be as wide as the cordage.   
  

  
  
Now, that you have the buttons, grab one, wrap the rope tightly around it just 
for trial and see what size buttonhole they still fit through with a little pushing.   
Finish the buttonhole by reinforcing the loop-closing stitch and move back 
around the heel – for the fourth time. Please note that with each row you have 
the opportunity to slightly modify the grip on the child’s heel. Give it some 
room for play, but not too much, and match up the profile curve of each heel 
bone (e.g. if you tighten the rim row too much, it pushes the whole foot 
forward, potentially making the sandal appear and feel too small). 
  
At this point, you are almost ready for another fitting with your child, to define 
the place for the base of this new double strap. Once you found the spot 
somewhere almost straight across from the buttonhole loop, reinforce its base 
stitch too, for sturdiness. By now, the sandal should look something like this:  
  

  
  
Here comes an important step, when you need to determine the final length 
of the double strap.  
 
Push the strap rope through the buttonhole, stick the button between the two 
rope layers of the strap and pull the loose end of the rope comfortably tight. 
Again, remember that with wear the strap will most likely loosen up some. I’m 
sure you would agree that it is really annoying and tiresome to try to keep a 
loose shoe or sandal on your foot.  
So you got the desired length. Mark it somehow, even with another needle 
stuck through both layers of the double strap and proceed to attaching the 
button. For a comfortable holding start stitching about 2 cm (1”) away from 
the button and move towards it. Lead your last couple of stitches partially 
around the button and pull them really tight. Also, taking advantage of that 
central groove, wrap the thread tightly around the button, leading it a couple of 
times, sequentially, through the inside of the rope.   
Now repeat the stitching on the other side of the strap (back, if you started on 
the front) and stop at the same distance from the button.   
  

  
  
The idea here is to combine airiness with strength, so we are going to leave the 
two ropes unattached to each other in the middle section, in front of the child’s 
leg, and continue with stitching a little further, by the inside ankle, to mirror 
what you have done on the button-end.  
   
  
Now, continue sewing the fifth row of the rim around the heel a bit more. This 
is the last row, so your only chance left to modify the grip of the sandal on the 
heel – more like the Achilles tendon.  
Don’t get too far ahead of yourself at this point, because you will need to have 
the comfort of finishing the other end of this single long piece of rope. For 
aesthetic reasons, I recommend measuring the rope to end right at the base of 
the buttonhole. But remember not to cut the rope until you repeated the 
finishing stitches on it just like at the very beginning of the work. Cut the 
excess rope off close to the finishing wraps. 
  
You are almost done! Just continue attaching this row all the way to the end of 
the rope both ​from inside and outside​.  
 
Awesome! Now, benefiting from your experience, repeat the same 
procedures, on the second sandal, respecting the individuality of 
the foot it is going to be made for. 
  
A technical note​: for practical reasons, especially while working on 
the heel part of the sandal rim, always be ahead with stitching on 
the interior, rather than the exterior side, to enable yourself to 
better fit into those tight spaces with the needle and pliers.   
 
When stitching the interior, lead the needle through the top (loose) rope and 
outside, then to secure to the already solid rim underneath, bring the needle 
back inside from the exterior – otherwise the needle simply wouldn’t fit to 
make the move - you’ll see.  
  
Congratulations! You are finished now!  
 
The little sandals should look something like these from top down:  
  

  
  
And their soles like these:  
  

  

  
 
A true work of artisan art coming out of your own hands, proudly strapping 
them on your child’s feet. Cherish and watch be cherished! 
 
You could choose to equip the bottoms of the soles with a layer of naturally 
tanned leather for abrasion protection. We are not sure yet about the extent 
this application would increase the durability of the sandals but, if cared for 
properly, they should last an entire summer season without leather too. 
 
They are ready for wear and tear, for walks and climbs. ​Be careful​ with them ​on 
extremely smooth, polished tile surfaces​, for here ​they​ w
​ ill be slippery​!  
  

  
  
  
​First published in 2013 
Copyright F
​ orestCreekMeadows​ © 2013-2019